Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
December 14, 2017

A performance of Handel’s Messiah invariably draws a crowd. The oratorio, perhaps one of the most famous pieces of classical music of all time, attracts everyone from the less observant Christmas-and-Easter concertgoers, to choral aficionados, not to mention the harder core of professional Messiah-chasers.

“I needed not sell one single ticket at the door,” boasted Handel of the premiere in Dublin in 1742, where space was so tight that gentlemen were urged not to bring their swords to the performance and the ladies were urged not to wear hoop skirts. While Handel was disappointed by the reception for the London premiere (at which George II stood during the Hallelujah Chorus, ushering in a tradition that would last centuries), Messiah has become a staple for may concertgoers and a hallmark of the Christmas season. And judging by the sell-out crowd on Thursday night at the Sydney Opera House (where security staff diligently ensured swords were left outside the Concert Hall), enthusiasm for the work hasn’t dimmed.

And why should it, with the power and glory of 650 singers from Sydney Philharmonia Choirs filling the concert...